


Dare To Dream (aka R +E)

by WaywardArrowGurl76



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Reddie, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, They are all 17 in this story.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2020-11-29 14:22:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20965865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaywardArrowGurl76/pseuds/WaywardArrowGurl76
Summary: Richie has dared Eddie to pretend to be his boyfriend for a week.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Pennywise doesn't exist in this story.

"A dare is a dare, Eds. Don't back out on me now." Richie singsonged, slinging one arm around the shorter boy. They were meeting up with the other five Losers at the movie theater. He had dared Eddie to pretend to be his boyfriend for a whole week.

"This dare is so stupid! They're never going to believe we're dating, numbnuts! They know how much you annoy me." Eddie rolled his eyes, pretending to be irritated. He didn't see the sudden flash of hurt in Richie's wide, expressive blue eyes or the way his smile wobbled and then fell off his face completely.

"They will, if you follow my lead. By the way, words hurt, Eds. You wound me, baby." Richie rebounded quickly, using humor to mask his pain. He pulled the other boy close and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Ugh, Richie! Don't call me baby!" Eddie swatted at him, but the smaller boy was fighting a smile.

"You love it, Eds. My little spitfire! Cute, cute, cute!" Richie gently pinched both of his cheeks. Eddie shook him off with a glare.

"Are you going to be like this the entire time that we're dating? Fake dating!" Eddie quickly corrected himself.

"You mean, am I going to take care of my man? I'm going to rock your world, baby." Richie purred, in a sexy growl that took Eddie by surprise. His eyes widened and he was sure he was blushing.

"G-good to know. Look, there's Bill! Bill! Hey, man!" He yanked himself free from Richie.

"Yeah, hi, Billy." Richie called out. "Thanks for the cockblock, man." He muttered under his breath, running a hand through his messy hair.

"Eds! R-rich! Are w-we the only o-ones here? D-did you guys walk h-here together?"

"Uh, yeah. We walked from Richie's house." Eddie answered before Richie could say a word. Richie came up behind him and took Eddie's hand, lacing their fingers.

Bill raised an eyebrow and looked between the two other boys. Eddie looked a little embarrassed but Richie looked extremely pleased with himself.

"Richie…" Eddie whispered, nervously, tugging at Richie's hand. He looked up at Richie, bit his lip, and then looked back at Bill.

"I don't want to hide anymore, Eds. I know we said we'd wait for everyone to be here but…I can't wait any longer. Bill, Eddie and I…" Richie began.

"Hey, guys!" Ben interrupted. He was flanked by Beverly, Mike, and Stan.

"Hi." Richie sighed, pushing his glasses up with his free hand. Eddie squeezed his other hand gently and Richie pulled him close. Eddie leaned into him and smiled up at him sweetly. Richie felt as though he'd been struck by lightning. He stared down into Eddie's beautiful dark eyes until the other boy dropped his gaze almost shyly, his cheeks dusted pink.

"That's a new development." Ben observed, quietly, to the others. Beverly eyed them suspiciously and Stan shared a look with both Bill and Mike.

"Eds, w-what's the d-deal?" Bill asked, gesturing to Richie and back to Eddie.

"Rich and I…" Eddie began, shyly.

"Rich and I?! Why are you two so gross and coupley all of a sudden?" Stan made a face and gave a full body shudder.

"Beep beep, Staniel." Richie snarled, practically baring his teeth at the curly haired boy. Stanley just raised both of his hands in mock surrender, rolling his eyes.

"Rich and I are…we...he asked me out, okay? We're seeing where it goes." Eddie scratched the back of his neck.

"That's great, Eddie." Beverly said, softly, smacking Stan on the arm when he scoffed.

"OK, so now that everyone's been caught up, how about we get those tickets?" Mike jumped in, trying to steer the conversation.

They bought their tickets from the old bat in the ticket booth who barked at them,  
"Don't be smart, don't throw popcorn boxes, don't holler, don't run in the lobby, don't run in the aisles!"

Beverly looked at Richie and rolled her eyes, Ben laughed. Bill fake shuddered, which made Eddie laugh.

"Don't look back at her or you'll turn into a pillar of salt." Mike whispered. Stan nodded.

"Come on, Eds. I'll get you some Twizzlers." Richie smiled.

"And popcorn?" Eddie gave Richie his best puppy dog eyes and a cute little pout. Stan muttered something under his breath. Beverly giggled, covering her mouth.

"Anything for my baby." Richie pressed a soft, sweet kiss to Eddie's lips. The contact was electric. Eddie made a startled noise between a whimper and a moan, his hands clutching at Richie. Richie echoed the sound and pulled Eddie even closer. The kiss deepened until they had to pull apart to breathe. Richie slowly pulled away, his stomach flipping as Eddie dazedly tried to chase his lips.

"Yowza. I think you melted my socks, Eds. Come on, baby, one public show a day is enough." He licked his lips and tasted Eddie's cherry ChapStick. He whipped off his steamed up glasses and cleaned them on his shirt.

Behind them he heard Bill, Mike, and Ben arguing good-naturedly about the movie and Stanley making gagging noises and comments about Richie and Eddie kissing in the lobby of the movie theater.

"Beep beep, Richie. I think you broke Stan." Beverly smirked knowingly at him , handing a five over for her large Coke. He shrugged at her, a slight smile on his lips. Eddie just laughed.

"Good afternoon, good sir, I'd like to purchase some of your finest vittles." Richie announced in a horrible British accent to the bewildered teen behind the concession counter.

"He'd like a medium popcorn and Twizzlers. Oh, and two large root beers, please." Eddie interjected. Richie patted his shorts and pulled out his wallet. He handed the money over.

"Only the best for my sweet spaghetti man." The boy behind the counter gave them both a weird look and turned to retrieve their food.

"Never ever call me that again." Eddie glared at him, taking the Twizzlers and his root beer. He left Richie to grab the popcorn and his own drink.

"As you wish, baby."

"For God's sake, Richie..." Eddie grumbled, hurrying after Stan and Mike. Richie caught up with him and followed him into the dimly lit theater.

Eddie sat next to Big Bill, leaving the aisle seat for Richie because he knew it was his favorite. Richie smiled until his face hurt. Even when Eddie was annoyed with him, he was still looking out for Richie. No wonder he was crazy about the little guy. Eds was a real sweetheart.

"Thanks, Eds." He handed over the popcorn. Eddie gave him that beautiful little grin that made Richie's heart beat a little faster.

They watched the movie in silence. Their hands met in the popcorn more than once and Richie smiled each time. Eddie even offered him a couple of Twizzlers.

Richie was a little sad when the credits began rolling. He sat as long as he could until the others began picking up their trash. He sighed and grabbed his half-empty cup and plucked the popcorn bag from Eddie's lap.

"Ready, spaghetti?" He quipped, earning an eye roll, but Eddie nodded. He waited as the other boy collected his garbage.

They led the others out the door, each person depositing their trash amid laughter and joking about the movie.

Eddie declared that he wanted a picture of everyone so they piled into the booth. He pulled Richie in and the others followed. The photo machine flashed rapidly as the pictures were snapped. Bill held two fingers over Stan's head. Mike poked Ben in the ear, while Beverly stuck out her tongue. Richie impulsively kissed Eddie on the cheek in one picture. They made funny faces in others. Finally the machine stopped flashing. They laughed and smiled as they all pushed their way out of the cramped photo booth into the bright sunlight from the darkness.

They made plans to meet at the clubhouse the next day. Mike was the first to leave, followed by Bill, then Stan, Bev and Ben held out a few minutes before heading off.

"Alone, at last, Kaspbrak." Richie leered, playfully. "Your place or mine, sweetcheeks?"

"Yours. More privacy." Eddie surprised him. He held out his hand and Richie took it.

They walked hand in hand to the Tozier house. Richie's stomach fluttered violently as they reached the door. He was half-expecting Eddie to yank his hand away at any minute now and yell, "Psych!" The smaller boy just gave him that sweet shy smile that made Richie's heart beat faster.

They went inside, up the stairs to Richie's bedroom. Richie paused in the doorway. He looked at his friend, the beautiful boy who had stolen his heart.

"Eds, I…" He hadn't realized he was going to speak until he heard the words. Eddie bit his lip and waited. Richie gently pulled his hand free from Eddie's to cup the boy's face and kissed him. Eddie sighed into the kiss and melted against Richie. Richie tugged him into the room, shutting the door. He pushed Eddie up against it. "I don't want to do anything to ruin…"

"Rich…you're not ruining anything. I want this. Kiss me."

Richie needed no further coaxing, he slid a hand into Eddie's soft dark hair, dragging him into a hungry kiss. Eddie whimpered, arching up into him, going on his tiptoes to slide his hands around Richie's neck. Richie pulled back and began to kiss down Eddie's neck. Eddie moaned, tilting his head.

"Rich…ohhh..."

"Sensitive, baby? How about here?" He thumbed a nipple and Eddie gasped, jerking. "Jesus, guess so."

Eddie grabbed Richie by the shirt and dragged him over to the bed.

"Take off your clothes." He demanded, sitting on the edge of the bed, eyes fixed on Richie.

"Rawr, bossy. Me likey." Richie waggled his eyebrows and grinned rakishly.

"I want to make out, so shut up and strip, Tozier!" Eddie growled.

Richie's eyebrows shot up but he began unbuttoning his overshirt. He wrenched it off and dropped it carelessly onto the floor. He stood before Eddie in a black t-shirt and his shorts. Eddie motioned for him to remove the t-shirt as well. The smaller boy gave him another of those heart stopping grins and pulled his own shirt over his head and threw it aside. He unclasped his red fanny pack and put it carefully on Richie's nightstand. 

"Look at you." Richie rumbled, staring.

"C'mere, Rich." Eddie beckoned him with a finger. Richie joined him on the bed, pinning the smaller boy to the mattress with his body.

"For someone who was so against this boyfriend dare from the get go, you're going all out here, Eds."

"I wasn't against the dare. I was afraid you were just joking about us dating but that kiss, that kiss…I saw your eyes afterwards, the look on your face. Rich, I felt wanted. You wanted me." Eddie's voice was full of awe and pleased surprise.

"I still do, Eddie. You're a great kisser, baby. I really think you melted my socks off."

Eddie surged up and kissed him. Richie laughed, kissing him back. Their hips rocked and both boys moaned as they rutted. Pulling away, Eddie panted into Richie's ear. Richie began kissing down the length of Eddie's throat causing him to arch and moan, hips pushing up into Richie's.

"That's it. So beautiful, Eds." He kissed his way down to one of Eddie's perky little nipples. He gave it a long, slow lick and then a quick flick of his tongue.

"Richie! Ohh!" Eddie writhed beneath him as he teased the nipple with gentle strokes. Eddie bit his lip to keep from shouting. Richie lifted his lust filled gaze to meet Eddie's. Eddie shuddered, goosebumps rising on his creamy skin.

Eddie reached down and rubbed the hard length encased in Richie's shorts. Richie groaned and pressed himself against Eddie's hand.

"Fighting dirty, Kaspbrak. Warn a guy." Richie admonished.

"Where's the fun in that?" Eddie gave a sexy little smirk.

"Keep talking, baby. I'll show you fun." Richie threatened.

"Thought you were going to rock my world? Are you all talk? Bring it, Trashmouth."

"Is that a challenge, Spaghetti? Oh, I think it was." Richie grinned at him. Eddie yelped as Richie flipped them. Eddie was now straddling Richie.

He reached up and removed Richie's glasses, neatly folding them and putting them on the nightstand. Richie blinked, long lashes fluttering as his blue eyes struggled to focus on Eddie.

"Richie, put your hands on me." Eddie murmured, almost shyly. The bigger boy began to run his long fingered hands over Eddie's shoulders. Eddie gasped and arched up, Richie's hands were warm and gentle. He shuddered, exhaling shakily.

Richie sat up a little, kissing Eddie's neck, sucking just below his ear. Eddie moaned. Richie began to slide Eddie's shorts down his legs, leaving him in his tight white briefs. Eddie tried to help and almost fell off the bed. Richie caught him and tossed the shorts to the floor. "Your turn." Eddie said, dark eyes watching Richie hungrily.

"Who knew you had it in you, Eds, you little minx?" Richie gave him a wink and slid out from beneath Eddie to struggle out of his jean shorts. He threw his shorts to the floor and turned.

Eddie sat there on the mattress, biting his lip as he let his eyes run over Richie. Eddie had a couple of red marks on his neck that would darken in color and become very vivid hickeys. Richie reached out and stroked one mark with the back of two fingers. Eddie shuddered. He raised a hand, letting his fingers lightly slide across Richie's hand. Richie paused in stroking Eddie's throat and looked at him.

"R-Rich, please, don't be mad…I've…I've never…" He said softly as he waved his hand between them, his eyes troubled.

"We don't have to do anything but kiss, Eddie." Richie promised, once again taking the smaller boy's hand. "I know I talk a lot of shit, but I'm not going to be mad if you want to go slow."

Eddie smiled at him and Richie felt his stomach swoop and his heart skip a beat. The other boy tugged insistently on Richie's hand.

"Come kiss me, then." He invited, his cheeks flushed with color. He scooted back on the bed, lying down with his head on Richie's pillow. It smelled of his shampoo and Eddie shuddered again.

"You cold, baby?" Richie asked, his voice low. He crawled up and over Eddie until he could press their lips together. Eddie moaned into Richie's mouth as their bodies slid together. "You feel so good…" Richie whispered into the kiss, his hands sliding into Eddie's soft hair.

Eddie gasped, arching up into Richie as he began to grind their hips together. Delicious tendrils of pleasure curled in his stomach. He scraped his fingers down Richie's back and was rewarded with a groan and an involuntary hip jerk. Richie licked at his upper lip and Eddie whimpered.

"Richie!"

Richie took possession of his mouth, Eddie slid a hand into Richie's dark curls, parting his thighs. Richie moaned, slipping his hands under Eddie's hips. Eddie cried out as Richie began thrusting harder, their dicks sliding faster and faster.

"Eddie...I'm gonna…oh, fuck…!"

Richie felt Eddie's body shudder violently, his muscles straining. Eddie made a strangled noise between a yelp and a moan. Richie stared at him as he felt a sticky warmth against his hip. A second later, Richie felt his body tighten like a bow and he gasped, shaking and moaning as he came.

"Jesus Christ!" He muttered. He saw a couple of tears slide down Eddie's face. "Oh, shit. Baby, please don't cry." He wiped the tears away gently. He felt like such an asshole. He had promised Eddie they could go slow and just kiss and now he'd made him cry.

"That was…" Eddie blinked, smiling, "God, Rich, that was amazing. I've never felt like that before. I mean, I've…" He blushed, miming a handjob. "But it's so much better with someone else…with you. Do you have something to...I'm kind of gross now and sticky." He scrunched up his nose, that soft smile still on his face.

"I thought you were mad at me or upset with what we had done. I thought I ruined everything." Richie said softly. He raked a hand through his hair.

"Rich, no. You only did what you promised. You rocked my world." Eddie looked up at him from beneath his lashes. His cheeks were pink, his lips slightly swollen from their kisses.

"Really? Because you rock mine every day." Richie confessed, "I think I may be in love with you, Edward Kaspbrak."

"Richie…" Eddie gasped, he moved and then grimaced.

"Hold that thought, Eds. I'll grab something to clean us up."

Richie jumped up and hurried to the bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror. His image was fuzzy without his glasses. His curls were a jumbled mess, his lips were kiss swollen, and he looked dazed. He shook himself and grabbed a clean washcloth. He ran it under some warm water and wrung it out.

He went back into his bedroom. He handed the cloth to Eddie and let him clean himself up. Eddie blushed as he started to peel off his underwear. Richie gave him some privacy as he hunted down some clean briefs for both of them. He handed a pair to Eddie, keeping his eyes on Eddie's face.

"Thanks, Rich."

Richie nodded and began cleaning himself up. The warm cloth felt good and once they were both clean and dry, Richie tossed it in his laundry hamper.

He sat down on the bed. Eddie moved next to him and laid his head on Richie's shoulder. Richie slid an arm around him, pressing a kiss to his temple.

"I really like you, Rich."

Richie froze, his heart pounding in his chest. He waited for Eddie to continue, for the rejection and the humiliation to follow. Eddie looked up at him expectantly.

"But?" Richie heard himself ask. He closed his eyes. Shit. His arm dropped from around Eddie's shoulder.

"We've been friends for a long time… Best friends. I've always liked you. You're funny…most of the time, anyway."

"Thanks, I think."  
Richie deadpanned.

"Richie, I want to stop pretending that we're dating." Eddie said.

Richie felt as if he'd been suckerpunched. His throat felt tight and his eyes burned. His fake boyfriend was dumping him after he had confessed his love for him. His heart ached and he felt almost sick to his stomach.

"So you're breaking up with me? We've been together for what? Six hours? That has to be a new world record." He heard his voice crack, the attempted joke falling flat.

"No! Rich, I want to be your boyfriend for real! I want you to hold my hand and kiss me and buy me Twizzlers."

TBC


	2. Dare To Dream (aka R+ E)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Eddie's surprise declaration, the boys have to get a few things straight (or not).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized in the first chapter, I had excluded the fanny pack so I went back and added it. If you already read chapter 1, it now includes that.

"Are you serious?" Richie stared at him, mouth hanging open. He shook himself, "I mean, really? This isn't just the jizz talking?"

"Oh, gross, Richie! Come on!" Eddie made a face. "I didn't ask you that when you said you thought you loved me!" Now Eddie was pouting, his full bottom lip jutting out. He looked so cute. 

"Well, people sometimes get caught up in the moment. I just never expected this to happen. I've thought about it…a lot! I mean, you and me…I just didn't think you'd feel the same." Richie suddenly looked vulnerable as he said this and it tugged at Eddie's heart. Richie didn't share his feelings that often, he used humor and sarcasm. 

"Why not? You're funny and sweet and kind of sexy." Eddie blushed. "You know, when you're not being totally obnoxious and stupid."

"I'm kind of sexy, stupid, and obnoxious? Wow, that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me, Eds." Richie teased him, with a smile, pretending to wipe away a tear. 

"See? You're crazy." Eddie laughed. Richie pulled him into a kiss. Eddie made a soft sound and began to kiss him back. His watch beeped suddenly. Eddie groaned. "Rich…Rich, I-I have to go. I...mmmph…" Richie kissed him again, cutting him off. 

"Don't go...not yet." He murmured. He licked at Eddie's mouth. Eddie's fingers slid into his hair. Richie moaned as the kisses deepened. 

The watch beeped again a few minutes later and they slowly pulled apart. They opened their eyes and gazed at one another. 

Eddie's brown eyes were dazed and his lips wet and swollen. Richie slowly dragged his thumb over them. 

"You're so beautiful, Eddie." He whispered. 

"You, too." Eddie stroked Richie's face and sighed sadly. "I wish I could stay."

"I know. Get dressed. I'll walk you home." Richie patted him gently on the cheek, fingers caressing the soft skin. 

They both reluctantly began gathering their clothes and redressing. They took their time, watching each other. Eddie finally ducked his head, blushing. Richie felt his heart beat faster as he looked at his new boyfriend. Jesus, that felt weird. He had a boyfriend, a real boyfriend with all the things that went along with it. Crazy. 

Richie's eyes fell on Eddie's neck. The hickeys he'd sucked there were becoming more apparent. 

"Shit, I got you good, didn't I? I didn't mean to be so aggressive. You bring out the beast in me, Eddie Kaspbrak." Richie gestured towards the marks. 

Eddie's hand flew to his neck, fingers searching. He remembered Richie stroking his skin there. His eyes went wide. His mom was going to have an aneurysm. 

"You didn't! Richie, my mom's going freak!" 

"You smelled good! You always smell good. I had to taste. And you weren't complaining then!" Richie said, defensively, folding his arms over his chest. 

"I have some calamine lotion I can put over them for now, I guess." Eddie shrugged. He dug into the fanny pack he always carried with him. 

"You have calamine lotion with you to go to the movies? Of course, you do. You're like a whole troop of Boy Scouts wrapped in one." Richie gave him a fond smile. "Derry does have some damn big mosquitoes. Ask Patrick Hockstetter."

"No thanks. That guy is insane." Eddie shuddered, as he applied the lotion to his neck. Kid had a point. Hockstetter was a couple of tacos short of a combo plate, for sure. 

Capping the lotion and putting it away, Eddie straightened his clothes and snapped his fanny pack around his waist. He slipped his shoes on and looked up at Richie. He was already completely dressed, glasses and all, waiting for him by the bedroom door. They walked downstairs hand in hand and Richie left a note for his mom, telling her where he was going. He left one light on and used his key to lock up as they headed out into the twilight. 

Eddie only lived three blocks over so it wasn't too far to walk. The light breeze moving through the trees and the crickets chirping were the only sounds for a couple of minutes. Eddie paused to look up at the moon, it was a quarter moon and reminded Eddie of a Cheshire Cat grin. He loved moons like this. 

"Come on, Eds. Mommy Dearest will be waiting. Maybe I can soften her up with some good, hard..." Richie did a couple of hip thrusts accompanied with some loud grunts. 

"Fuck you, Trashmouth." Eddie smacked him upside the head, glaring at him. "Stop talking about fucking my mom! You're so gross!"

"Jealous, Eds? You know you're the only Kaspbrak for me. I love the little noises you make when you're beneath me…" Richie made soft moaning noises and whimpers in Eddie's ear that sounded eerily like Eddie had when they were grinding against each other in Richie's bed. His body reacted to the sounds. His breath shortened and his stomach did this sweet, slow roll. 

"Beep beep, Richie!" Eddie was blushing so hard, it was obvious even in the dusk. 

"You love it. You love me. Admit it, boyfriend. Come on, baby. Tell me you want me." Richie slung an arm around Eddie's shoulders. 

"Meh. You'll do." Eddie smiled, laughing when Richie began tickling him. "OK! OK! I want you! I need you! Oh, baby. Oh, baby." 

"Close enough." Richie stopped his tickle attack and kissed Eddie on the temple. "Wait, did you just quote 10 Things I Hate About You?"

Eddie just laughed again. He snuggled into Richie with a happy sound. Richie pulled him closer. 

"You cold, baby?" He asked and Eddie felt flushed and warm as he recalled the boy asking him that same question earlier. Their bodies sliding together, hearts beating fast, breath catching in their throats as they moved together. 

"N-no, I'm good, Rich. I'm better than good, actually. I'm just about perfect." He said, feeling safe and warm even in the slightly chilly October air. 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys like this! I work better with comments and feedback. Thanks! :)


	3. Dare To Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie drops his new bf Eddie off at home after an amazing "date" and surprising make-out session. His night can only get better, right? Someone forgot to give Henry Bowers that memo.

Richie reluctantly dropped his arm from its comfortable perch around Eddie's thin shoulders when the other boy's house came into view. The lacy curtains in the front window were drawn back, a frowning Sonia Kaspbrak stood there, waiting for her son. 

Her pudgy face was almost pressed to the glass. She pointedly looked down at the watch on her left wrist and back up to glare at Richie. She didn't like the Tozier boy. He was rude, crude, and uncouth, no fit company for her sweet little Eddie. She made no bones about it either. Richie knew he was persona non grata with Sonia. He felt like a peasant, bowing and scraping for the Queen, just to spend a little time with his best friend. 

_ His boyfriend _ . His adorable pint-sized spitfire. God, Eddie was beautiful. He'd face Medusa for him. He'd face anything for him, anything for one of those amazing smiles and that glorious laugh. His heart fluttered. 

  
  


"It is about time, Edward Francis Kaspbrak! I almost called the police! You were supposed to be home an hour ago, young man! Don't argue with me, Eddie, I am not in the mood!" Sonia raised a hand, cutting off any excuse poor Eddie had opened his mouth to offer up. "Get inside this minute!" Her chubby fingers pointed past the open front door. Eddie ducked his head, his face completely mortified. He cast one last look back at Richie, who gave him a small sympathetic smile and a little wave. 

"See you tomorrow, Eddie." He said, defiantly, staring at Sonia. Mrs. Kaspbrak glared at him with her cold hazel eyes. 

"Eddie has to rest tomorrow." She stated, looking down her nose at the shabbily dressed teen hovering just beyond her porch. "Go home, Richard." She waved a hand at the boy as if shooing a disobedient dog. 

  
  


"Sleep tight, Mrs. K." Richie shot back, giving the woman a wink and going so far as to blow her a kiss as she looked back at him. Sonia huffed and slammed the door behind her. "She wants me bad." He chuckled and started whistling as he walked home. No one, not even Eddie's mom, could ruin his night. 

He felt lighter than air, he wanted to shout his good news to the world. Eddie Kaspbrak was his boyfriend! He'd had a crush on him for about nine years now and Eddie liked him back. He felt like fucking Molly Ringwald…wait, like Molly Fucking Ringwald, yeah, like that. He was the stereotypical geek who got the girl… boy…at the end of a cheesy John Hughes rom-com. He was so lost in his shiny happy thoughts that he was completely unaware of the danger lurking just around him. 

"Hello, fuckface." Henry Bowers said from behind him. Richie froze mid-stride, his heart pounding. He spun around and came face to face with Henry and his two dumbass minions, Belch Huggins and Victor Criss. 

"Hey, it's Larry, Curly, and Moe. What's shaking, fellas?" He said, brightly. 

Belch and Victor sneered at him. Belch cracked his knuckles. 

"It's awfully late to be walking all by your lonesome, isn't it, Four Eyes? Where's your little friend?" Henry put a nasty emphasis on the word 'friend'. 

"Home. Speaking of, I should go." Richie didn't like the odds of three against one. He especially didn't like the strange faraway look in Henry's eyes. He needed to retreat and get to a safe place right now. "You three crazy kids have a good night now. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. " He took a step back. 

"Get him!" Henry bellowed. Richie whirled around and took off down the street. His long legs flying, he raced towards home. He could hear the thunder of their footsteps behind him. 

Belch tackled him to the pavement, elbows and knees skidding painfully. Richie couldn't hold back a yelp as his chin bounced off the cement, his glasses flying off. He tasted blood as he bit into his tongue. Belch yanked him to his feet just in time for Henry's fist to knock him off of them again. Richie clutched his throbbing eye, spitting blood at Henry's feet. 

"Fucking psycho. You're crazy just like your father." He heard himself say. His good eye widened in horror and he cursed his runaway mouth. 

Henry drew back his foot and kicked Richie in the face. His nose began gushing blood. Henry kicked him a few more times. Richie curled up in the fetal position and cried out as one kick got him squarely in the ribs. Another kick broke his wrist as he tried to protect his ribs. 

"Henry, we should go." Victor urged as a siren sounded nearby. Henry kicked Richie one last time in the head. 

"See you later, loser. You got lucky tonight, you little faggot. Let's go, guys." 

Richie lay there on the sidewalk, waiting until he couldn't hear them anymore. He began to cry. Fuck his life, fuck this town, Fucking Henry Bowers. He sat up slowly, wincing as his ribs protested. He shakily picked up his glasses with his good hand. He didn't bother putting them on, instead opting to stick them in the pocket of his jeans. He peeled off his flannel shirt and wadded it up. He pressed it gingerly to his nose, groaning in pain. He gently used it to wipe blood from his nose and upper lip. 

"Fuck." He muttered, his voice came out nasally and slightly distorted. "Fucking Bowers and fucking minions from hell." 

He began walking home, feeling like he'd been run over by a goddamn truck. Every single muscle ached. He was limping and holding his left wrist funny, up against his chest. His ribs throbbed and his tongue hurt. 

He reached his house, cradling his wrist as he maneuvered up the stairs to his front door. His head was spinning and he felt faint. He knocked on the door, unable to dig in his pockets for his key. The door finally swung open. His mom took one horrified look at him and screamed for his father. 

"Wentworth! Went, get down here  **now** ! Oh, Richie, baby, what happened?" She pulled him inside just as his father came barreling down the stairs. 

"Maggie, what the…Richard!" He gasped, as he surveyed the damage done to his only child. "What in the name of Jesus? Who did this to you, son?"

"It was Bowers." Richie managed to say. "Dad, I'm not feeling very…" Richie's eyes rolled back in his head. Went caught him and yelled for his wife to call 911 right the fuck now. 

TBC… 


	4. Dare To Dream (aka R+ E)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the attack, Richie finds himself in the hospital. He needs to warn Eddie before his new boyfriend becomes Henry's next victim. An unexpected complication makes that more difficult.

Richie came to in the back of the ambulance. He groaned in pain, the jerky motion of the bus rattling him. He felt big, warm hands touching him gently. His left wrist was on fire. The siren was blaring, making his head ache. 

He moaned softly. 

"Richard? Richard? Can you hear me?" A young male voice asked near his head. At Richie's slow nod, he continued. "Good. Do you know where you are right now, son?"

"Hurt…am-ambulance…?" Richie managed. His entire body throbbed and ached. Even his hair hurt. He had something on his face.

"That's right. My name is Tony, I'm a paramedic. Your folks are behind us in their car. We're taking you to the Derry Home Hospital. I know the ride is a little bumpy and I'm sorry about that. We'll be there soon. Hang on, kid." He patted Richie on the thigh. 

Richie reached up tentatively with his good hand and tried to touch his face to see what was covering his mouth and nose. Some sort of mask, he realized. 

"That's just so you can have a little extra oxygen, okay? You need that right now so don't try and remove it." Tony made some adjustments to the thing and soon, it wasn't so bothersome. 

The ambulance pulled into the ambulance bay and the back doors of the bus opened. Richie saw another paramedic and some doctors looking in. He felt like what he imagined animals in the zoo felt like. Tony and the other paramedic, Evan, according to his coat, maneuvered his gurney out of the ambulance. Richie grunted in pain as they accidentally jostled him.

"Richard Tozier, 17 year old male, parents say he was attacked on his way home from a friend's house. He has a distal radius fracture of the left wrist, epistaxis, possible fracture to the left eye socket, a possible concussion, two broken ribs, maybe more, and some extensive bruising on his upper and lower torso. BP is 120 over 90." Tony announced to the doctors. Richie was dizzy and didn't understand half of what Tony was saying. 

  
  


Once inside, he was rushed through the hospital halls at top speed, he closed his eyes against the glare of the fluorescent lights. Doctors were shouting at nurses and nurses were shouting at doctors as he was wheeled into an elevator. Someone punched the button for the fourth floor. 

"Richard, are you allergic to any medications?" Someone asked him. Richie shook his head. "What about latex?" Richie shook his head again. He felt something wet slide across his forearm and a pinch. He looked down as a nurse taped down a tube. It was an IV. The elevator dinged and they whisked him out and down another hallway. 

"We need to get a CT and an MRI. Page Dr. Bates to CT and page Dr. Cole to room 459." A female doctor ordered. Richie tried to follow what was happening but he couldn't so he just laid there quietly. 

"Richard, I'm Doctor Gordon, we're taking you to CT first to get pictures of your brain. And then we will need to get an MRI of your chest and see about those ribs, ok?" The female doctor gently patted his shoulder. Richie nodded. She removed the face mask. "Ok, let them know if you start feeling nauseous or dizzy, all right? John, Marshall, page me when you're finished and I'll come check on him." 

Two big guys in all white lifted him onto a long bed that went into a machine. The machine was round and kind of freaky. Richie wasn't sure he liked it. He closed his eyes tightly. 

"Just lie still, Richard. We need a couple of pictures and then we'll be done." A man's gentle voice said through a speaker. "You're doing great." 

Richie wasn't sure about that. He just wanted Eddie. He wanted to hold him and find comfort in him. Oh my God! Eddie! Eddie didn't know what had happened to him! Richie felt tears slide down his cheeks. Eddie could be in danger. Henry could decide to go after him, too. Suddenly, he couldn't breathe, he started panicking. Alarms started going off. They were loud and they hurt his head. 

"Richard?! Richard, son, you need to calm down. You're safe. No one is going to hurt you here. John, get him out of there!" The gentle voice commanded. 

Richie felt the bed move and he was able to breathe and he realized he was still crying. Gentle hands touched him, trying to soothe him. Soft voices murmured calming words. 

"Get Dr. Gordon. We may have to sedate him for the next tests. Poor kid may be reliving the attack. " Richie heard someone say. 

"Dr. Gordon to CT! Dr. Gordon to CT, please!"

"Eddie…want Eddie...could be next…" Richie mumbled. 

"Who is Eddie? Richard, who is Eddie?"

"Boyfriend…they're going to hurt…need to warn him..." Richie panted. His head hurt and his ribs, his chest tightened painfully. Richie made a startled noise and suddenly vomited up a small pool of blood. He stared at the mess in horror. Frantically, he grabbed the arm of the big man next to him. 

"Get Gordon or Cole in here now!" The man from the speaker shouted. 

A small basin was shoved under Richie's nose. He spit blood into it. The sight nauseated him but he didn't throw up again. 

Doctors swarmed the room and a gurney was shoved up against the CT bed. On the count of three, the doctors lifted Richie from the CT bed to the new gurney. He was once again wheeled down a long hallway. 

"Richard, we can't wait for the MRI, we have to see why you're vomiting blood. I don't want to alarm you but one or both of your broken ribs may have punctured an organ. We need to do surgery to find out where the blood is coming from." Everything started to go swirly after that. Richie's ears felt full of cotton, his head buzzed. He heard muffled voices and felt hands on his body. Once again, he was being moved from one bed to another. A bright light shone in his eyes. A distorted voice told him to count backwards from 100 as a large mask was placed over his face. 

"100...99..98...97…" His voice sounded slurred and also distorted. Everything went black. 

TBC… 


	5. Dare To Dream (aka R+ E)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie wakes up in the hospital.

Beep beep (Richie). Beep beep (Richie). Beep beep (Richie). 

Richie heard machines. His hand was being held and someone was crying. His whole body hurt. He heard himself groan, muffled by the tube in his throat. 

"Rich? Richie? Oh, God, I think he's finally waking up! Richie, can you hear me? Rich?" He heard Eddie's tearful voice say and then someone else yelled for a doctor. A hand squeezed his and he felt a touch on his arm. 

"Eddie, go back to the waiting area. Send Mr. Tozier back in, please, sweetheart." Richie heard his mom say. 

Richie began to struggle against the breathing tube. He was choking. Dr. Gordon was suddenly there and she was holding one of his shoulders down. 

"Hey, hey, no! Relax! We'll get that out. OK, Richard, cough for me! One, two, three!" Dr. Gordon pulled the tube out as Richie coughed violently. "Jackie, get him some ice chips!"

Wentworth Tozier hurried into the room, disheveled and winded. His hand pressed to his chest as he slumped into the chair next to his wife. Maggie patted his arm and Went took her hand in his. They watched silently as the doctor worked. 

Dr. Gordon checked him over as the nurse, Jackie, went and got a cup full of ice chips for Richie. Her hands were cool and soft as she touched his ribs, his nose, his cheek, and his wrist. She had him shake his head yes or no to her quiet questions until he could eat the ice chips. 

Maggie slid his glasses on his face so that he could see and Went began feeding him ice chips as soon as Jackie brought the cup. He fed him two at a time until Richie held up a hand to stop him. 

"Richard, we had to set your nose, suture your tongue, remove your spleen and repair a small puncture to your stomach so your left side will be very sore for awhile. You'll be on a soft food diet for the next two to three weeks. I hope you like applesauce and mashed potatoes." At Richie's horrified look, she amended, "Not together, of course!"

After speaking with Went and Maggie about Richie's care, Dr. Gordon said a Dr. Christopher would be by to check on him in about an hour and to page her or a nurse if he needed anything before then. 

"Do you want some more ice chips, baby?" Maggie asked, reaching for the cup when Richie nodded. His throat hurt and he had a faint copper taste in the back of his mouth. 

"I-I thought I heard Eddie. Is he here?" Richie asked after sucking on some more ice chips. 

"Yes, he's in the waiting room now. I called him because you were hurt and also because one of the orderlies, a man named John, told me that you were afraid that the Bowers boy would go after Eddie. Now, dad is going to drive Eddie home before too long. I think he snuck out. He rode his bike here. You know how his mother overreacts so we have to make sure that he gets home before the sun comes up." Maggie rolled her eyes to show what she thought of Sonia Kaspbrak's theatrics. 

"What time is it?" Richie sounded very hoarse and talking irritated his throat. 

"It's getting close to two a.m., love. You were in surgery for nearly six hours and recovery for two. Dad has been talking with a couple of detectives for awhile, they may have some questions, and Eddie got here about 7 so he's been here for quite some time. He was very worried about you, Richie. Eddie is such a sweet boy, so caring, handsome and polite." Maggie added, eyes on her son's face. 

"You don't have to sell me on him, Mom." Richie croaked. 

"I heard you walked him home tonight. Good to know I'm raising a proper gentleman." She poked him gently in the arm. Richie blushed and looked away. "It's okay, Richard. You are a good person and it's okay to find someone you care about. Eddie is a doll and he's good for you. You're good for each other. He needs someone like you, God knows, with that mother of his." She sighed, shaking her head. 

"He's stronger and braver than he looks, Mom. Trust me."

"Maggie, I'm going to run Eddie home but he wanted to see Richie." Went came through the door, Eddie was right behind him. His eyes were red-rimmed and he looked worried but not really scared. 

"Hey, Rich." He gave a small wave and moved closer to the bed. 

"We'll give you two a minute." Maggie smiled and gently pulled her husband out the door. 

"She knows." Richie said, "She thinks we're good for each other."

"You told your mom about us?" Eddie asked, his big brown eyes wide with surprise. 

"No, she just knew. She's probably already planning the wedding. She wants us to give her grandbabies." Richie grinned. 

"What?!" Eddie stared at him. 

"Eds, relax, babe. I just meant that she adores you. You are her ideal son-in-law." Richie coughed, gesturing to the ice chips. 

"You're the worst." Eddie rolled his eyes, grabbing the cup. He tipped it to Richie's mouth. Richie sucked on the ice chips that Eddie had poured into his mouth. 

"You love me." He mumbled around the last ice chip. 

"You scared the hell out of me, Rich! Your mom called me and told me you'd been attacked and I…" Eddie closed his eyes, taking a moment. "I thought he'd killed you. I thought Bowers had finally killed one of us." Eddie was trying not to cry. Richie saw his lip tremble. 

"Eddie, baby, I'm still here. He didn't get me. Hey, come here." He reached for Eddie. Eddie pulled him into a hug, careful of his injuries. He inhaled shakily, his tears wetting the hospital gown Richie was in. "I'm going to be okay, baby. I'm not about to give Henry Bowers the satisfaction of getting rid of me."

"I love you." Eddie choked out. 

"I love you, too, Spaghetti." Richie kissed Eddie's head. Eddie turned and kissed him on the corner of his mouth. Richie wiped away his tears, his fingers gentle on Eddie's cheeks. 

"Sorry, guys. It's time to get Eddie home." Went interrupted, coming into the room. 

Eddie and Richie reluctantly released each other, both staring into each other's eyes. 

"Call me when you get home, okay?" Richie said, hand squeezing Eddie's. Eddie squeezed back. 

"I will. Get some rest so you can go home soon. Promise?" He pulled out his puppy dog eyes and Richie nodded. 

"I promise." He whispered. He crossed his heart and kissed his pinky, holding it up. Eddie's face brightened with a big smile. He was so beautiful when he smiled like that. 

"See you tomorrow." Eddie swore, standing straight and walking toward Wentworth. Went walked out into the hallway to wait. Eddie turned back and Richie blew him a kiss and winked at him. Eddie flushed but his smile just got bigger. He waved and walked out the door. Richie missed him immediately. His heart ached. 

Maggie came back in. She gave her son a soft smile. Richie blushed but smiled back. 

"Thanks, mom." He whispered. 

"Anything for my boy, you know that. Now do me a favor, son, and get some sleep. You need your rest." She kissed his forehead and removed his glasses, setting them on the table near his bed. 

"Dad will be back soon to get me and we're going to stay in the family waiting room. They have cots for us, for tonight. I told the doctor I wasn't leaving you here by yourself."

"OK, mom. Tell dad I said goodnight?" Richie said, as his mom went to leave. 

"I will, sweetheart. Goodnight." She went out the door. 

Richie stared up at the ceiling for a few minutes, listening to the symphony of beeps from the machines in his room, before his eyes grew heavy and he began to drift. 

His door squeaked open and a doctor about mid-forties, with curly blond hair came in. Richie groaned, opening his eyes. The doctor shushed him. 

"It's okay, Richard. Sorry to wake you. I'll be quick. My name is Dr. Christopher and I'm just going to look at some of your vitals." He wrote something down on his clipboard and pushed a couple of buttons on one of the machines. He looked at Richie's surgical scars, took Richie's temperature and blood pressure and checked his eyes. Then, he looked at Richie. "Are you in pain right now? Do you want me to push some morphine for you? It might help you sleep better." Richie nodded. "Yes? All right, hold on." He pushed something else and Richie started feeling light-headed. "OK, Richard. You're looking good for now. One of the nurses will be by every four hours to check on you. Keep that call button close just in case, son, all right? OK, good boy. I'll see you later." 

"'Kay…" Richie mumbled. 

He closed his eyes and slid into sleep. 

TBC… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a scene in here where Richie pinky swears to Eddie. The way he does is just like how Chris Chambers (River Phoenix) swears to Gordie LaChance (Wil Wheaton) in the movie Stand By Me.


	6. Dare To Dream (aka R+ E)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie meets Dr. Christopher, gets breakfast, and learns more about his condition.

Richie was dreaming. His medicated mind swirled and he was suddenly back in the lobby of the movie theater getting his entire world rocked by a kiss from one Edward Francis Kaspbrak. 

That kiss had curled his toes inside his shoes and absolutely ruined him for anyone else. Oh, who was he kidding? Eddie had ruined him for anyone else the very minute he'd started wearing those tiny little red shorts of his. The ones Richie wanted to rip off him with his teeth. 

Richie moaned softly as his mind supplied him with pictures of Eddie in those shorts, memories of them sharing the hammock in the clubhouse. He heard familiar laughter as he saw Beverly and Bill jump off the cliff into the quarry, the seven of them splashing around. He saw them in Richard's Alley hovering as Eddie patched up Ben's wounds. 

Those happy memories bled into some not so pleasant ones. Richie felt rough hands grab him painfully and he heard Henry Bowers' menacing voice say, 

"Hello, Fuckface."

He jerked awake, gasping. His heart monitor spiked and he sucked in a breath, trying to calm down. 

A nurse was checking his vitals and hurried to soothe him. 

"You're safe now, Richard. No one is going to hurt you. Dr. Christopher wanted me to check on you. You've been asleep for about four and a half hours now. Jackie is going to bring your food tray in a couple of minutes. I hope you like foods like oatmeal and cherry yogurt. I hear there's a chocolate milkshake coming too." She gave him a big smile. 

Richie nearly snorted at that. She wanted to tempt him with a chocolate milkshake? What was he, seven? At least it was chocolate and not vanilla. The nurse didn't seem to notice his sneer, she kept chattering on about the soft foods he could look forward to. 

Jackie, soon, pushed open the door, bearing the breakfast tray laden with oatmeal and yogurt, a chocolate milkshake, and a cup of orange juice. The other nurse, Chatty Cathy, saw herself out. 

"Let me know if you need anything else, sweetheart." Jackie said, after making sure that Richie's bed was upright and that he could feed himself. That last part didn't matter too much because Maggie Tozier came in the room a couple of minutes later and if he had any problems, she was right there. 

"Hi, mom. Is dad with you?" Richie craned his neck to see outside in the hallway. No Wentworth, no Eddie. 

"Hey, baby. No, dad was still asleep on his cot when I left the family room. He's going to go and pick Eddie up around nine or ten. Sonia is keeping him home from school. For safety reasons." Maggie said softly.

"Jesus, mom, she'll never let him out now! Not even for dad. He's going to be a prisoner in that goddamn house!" Richie exclaimed. 

"Language, my darling boy. You know, your dad can actually be very…persuasive." 

"Ewww! Mom!" Richie gagged and pretended to throw up. "Is it even possible to bleach your brain? Gross."

"Richard Wentworth Tozier, get your filthy mind out of the gutter!" Maggie glared at him, but her lips quivered as if she was trying very hard not to laugh at her son and his antics. 

She urged him to eat some of his breakfast and drink the chocolate shake. Richie rolled his eyes and took a small drink from the cold sweet beverage, his eyes widened and he took a couple more, sucking harder to get more of the shake. It was pretty damn good for a hospital milkshake. He began to eat the lumpy oatmeal, which was sadly bland and tasted a bit like what Richie assumed wet cardboard would taste like. Wrinkling his nose, he moved on to the yogurt. It was tart black cherry and Richie ate the whole cup. He drank the orange juice next and his mom took the tray and put it on an empty chair, out of the way. A firm knock on the door had them both looking up. 

"Good morning, Richard. I see you're awake. Had a rough night, didn't you, son?" A slightly familiar voice said. Maggie and Richie both looked up to see the intruder. It was a doctor in his mid-forties or possibly early fifties. He had curly blond hair and glasses, average height, refined and slim, with an open friendly face and demeanor to match. There was something familiar about him and Richie liked him immediately. 

"I remember you." Richie exclaimed. The doctor smiled at the boy, indulgently. "You gave me a dose of morphine last night."

"Mrs. Tozier? I'm Doctor Christopher. I met your boy last night." The doctor shook Maggie's hand. Maggie gave him a smile. "Richard is a resilient young man, like most boys his age. As long as he follows the soft food diet that Dr Gordon designed for him and the restrictions, he should recover just fine. We'll keep him here one more night for observation…just to be safe. Okay, Richard? Let me see how you're doing, son." Dr. Christopher went over the same routine he had last night, except for the morphine. "Still looking good. A little red at some of the incision sites but I'll get with Dr. Gordon and she can keep an eye on those for you. If they get worse, we'll have to put something on them but for now, I'm not worried." He smiled at the boy, who nodded and looked over at his mom. She reached over and patted Richie's hand. "All right, folks, I'll have Dr. Gordon stop in later and look in on you. Richard, try and get some more rest." Dr. Christopher finished writing his notes and gave one last smile to the Toziers and left. 

"Rich? You're up! Hi!" Eddie's voice came from the doorway. He looked adorable in short blue shorts with a white stripe and a dark grey polo. His dark hair was softly curling around his ears and combed to near perfection. His cute face was scrubbed morning fresh and his grin was beautiful. 

"Eddie!" Richie breathed, his face lighting up at the sight of the dark-haired beauty. He waved the other boy over, smiling at his dad, who hovered behind his son's boyfriend. "Hi, dad!" 

"Hey, kiddo. Mom and I are going to grab some breakfast in the cafeteria so Eddie will keep you company for a bit. What do you think, Mags?" He winked at his wife, reaching for her hand. 

"Sounds good to me. Behave now, boys." She gave Richie a knowing smile and a wink as she turned to leave with her husband. Richie could hear her quietly filling his father in on his condition according to Dr. Christopher as they walked out the door. 

"Hey, baby." He purred at Eddie. Eddie ducked his head, blushing. "You okay, Eds? The doctor says I'm going to be just fine as long as I follow my diet and stuff."

"I can help with that. Make sure you're eating right and following the doctors' orders. I do have experience, you know." Eddie said, loftily, raising his head. 

"Do you? Have experience?" Richie asked, his words heavy with innuendo. Eddie looked up at him from beneath his lashes, licking his lips. Richie groaned. 

"You'd know better than anyone, wouldn't you?" Eddie asked, raising one hand to stroke his neck. Richie blinked, eyes catching on the dried calamine lotion dotting Eddie's throat. 

"Jesus…" Richie muttered, it felt hot all of a sudden. Eddie dropped his hand, sliding it up Richie's arm. Richie gasped at the sensation. 

"Can I kiss you? I didn't really get a chance last time. I'm just so glad you're going to be okay." Eddie leaned down and pressed his lips to Richie's, a sweet kiss that Richie easily returned, deepening it. Eddie pulled back, breathlessly. "I think you melted my socks this time, stud." 

"It was my turn, I can't help myself around you. Pull up a chair and sit with me." Richie gestured to the chair his mom had vacated. "I have to stay one more night…for observation. It sucks but the newest doctor on my case is cool. He reminds me of you, actually. Not sure what it is, but he does. He's nice, I think you'd really like him." 

Eddie pulled the chair as close to the bed as he could, sliding his hand into Richie's good hand. He frowned as he looked over Richie's battered face. 

"Rich, your mom said you bit your tongue pretty bad, are you okay to talk so much? I mean, doesn't it hurt?" 

"It's sore but it'll be okay. Just a little battered and bruised, but I'm tough. You know me, I'm resilient." He smiled, borrowing one of Dr. Christopher's fancy words. He knew Eddie would know what it meant, if he was using it correctly and he was pretty sure he was. 

"If it wasn't for that fucking psycho Bowers and his three stooges, you wouldn't have to be resilient, Rich." Eddie's pretty brown eyes filled with tears. "I'm so glad you're going to be okay." He sniffled. 

"Aww, baby…" Richie whispered, sadly. He slid his hand free and brushed the tears off Eddie's cheeks. 

"I love you." Eddie hiccuped, embarrassed by his breakdown. 

"I love you, too, sweetheart." 

"It's too damn early for all this mushy stuff." A voice sounded from the doorway. They both turned to see Beverly and Stan standing there. "I'd say get a room but you already have one." Stan said, rolling his eyes. 

"Good morning to you, too, Staniel and to you as well, Ms. Marsh. Come to see me on my sick bed? It brings a tear to my eye." He mimed wiping away a tear. "You missed breakfast, I had gruel. And a chocolate shake. It was…" He did a chef's kiss. 

"Well, that's a shame." Stan deadpanned. 

"In or out, Stanny. Y'all are blocking the doorway." Eddie griped. 

"I want to hug Richie!" Bev scooted past Stan and rushed the bed. "Oh, honey, your face." She gently ran her thumb around his black eye before leaning down and pulling Richie against her chest. She looked like a mother comforting her child. 

Eddie watched all of this with a jealous lover's eye and Stan watched him watching. He nudged Eddie and patted his back. Eddie pouted, hating that he was letting this upset him. Bevvie was not into Richie and she was one of their best friends. _ And she's a very pretty girl. One that Richie spends a lot of time with. He'd seen Richie look at her at the Quarry. _He frowned. 

"You might want to tuck that back in." Stan whispered, "Jealousy doesn't become you, kid. Don't you know, he only has eyes for you? He turned Emily Preston down once because you guys had plans. Emily Preston…" 

Emily Preston was a teen-age goddess, prom queen material, and she made it clear that she found Richie attractive. Richie had seemed flattered, if not interested, in the girl, but if he had turned her down to spend time with Eddie, that was huge. 

Eddie looked at Stan and felt a smile twist his lips as he looked back at his boyfriend. 

"How is he, really?" Stan asked, changing the subject. Eddie saw the worry clearly in Stan's eyes. Stan and Richie may snipe and pick at each other but they were good friends and cared about each other as fiercely as brothers. 

"They're keeping him one more night just for observation but he's going to be okay. I'm going to make sure that he follows all the discharge orders and his diet for the next couple of weeks. Don't worry, Stanley, I've got him. He'll be annoying the hell out of you in no time." Eddie smiled fondly at the boy in the hospital bed. 

"Oh, goody. Can't wait." Stan lightly squeezed Eddie's fingers as they watched the playful interactions between Beverly and Richie. 

TBC… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case some of you were wondering, Dr. Christopher is based off of an actor, Dennis Christopher, who portrayed adult Eddie Kaspbrak in the 1990 mini-series of IT. He's awesome and he's on Twitter and he is a Reddie fan.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Twitter if you want:  
RChristina_O34
> 
> If you like my stories, please rec them so others can find them too. And comments are always welcome! ;)


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